C9 Memories

Antonio was sitting all alone in his office when he thought about his little friend. He could remember their last chat with her and her smile, her smile was so beautiful that he couldn't take it off his mind. Her little hands… She was just so beautiful that he wished she was his little friend, and more than a friend.

And oh, he is not a pedophile who is into children. Antonio didn't just wish her as his daughter but he also couldn't stop imagining how sweet she was. He decided to go and pay her a visit at his school as it was not hard for him to know where she schooled at from their first meeting when he met her and she wanted a puppy, she was wearing a school uniform which belonged to Bright nursery and primary school.

It wasn't hard to find the location of the school so he stopped by at a shelter shop and got a beautiful little brown puppy which he asked them to package well for him with a ribbon tied on the box. He kept it in the front seat of his car and drove off to the school.

He didn't have free time to visit this little angel but since his schedule was free today, he was going to fulfill his promise today and so he took off and finally arrived at the school all thanks to the sign boards.

It was their break time when he got into the school premises after taking permission from the school security guards who let him in, telling him he needed to deliver a surprise gift to him . He watched the children as they played happily while he searched for his little angel.

"Oh there she is. Ariel!" He cried out her name happily as she was on the slide. On seeing him waving and calling her name, she happily slid down and ran towards him to give him a big hug.

"Yayy uncle… I thought I will never see you again." Ariel hugged his legs so tight as she complained with pouty lips.

"Of course not, I was busy with work that's why I've not been around so sorry. Can you forgive me?" He asked her as he held her little cute cheeks in his palms while squatting next to her.

"Sure. Come let's play uncle." She said as she dragged him by his finger with her little hands.

"See Ariel and her dad!" A girl tells her bunch of friends on the swings and slides as they all stopped playing and watched Ariel.

"Okay okay easy…" Antonio tried to slow down her pace as she pulled him towards them.

"Come uncle, let me show you to my friends…" Ariel happily told him.

"Hey friends, this is my uncle..!" She said so happily as she smiled sweetly at them.

Her friend looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Oh right, I even thought it was her dad. Ariel doesn't have a dad, see he even left you, brat." A boy told the rest of them as they began to laugh at her.

"Ariel doesn't have a dad! Ariel doesn't have a dad! Ariel doesn't have a dad!" They started to chorus and went on playing as Antonio came and met Ariel feeling very sad.

"Hey honey, what's wrong? Antonio asked her as they dropped the package.

"You left me." She said to him with her head bowed to the ground and her speech, grumpy.

"I'm so sorry darling, I will never leave you again, okay?" He apologized to her.

"You promise?" Ariel asked as she looked at him.

"Yes, I promise." He smiled.

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise." He said to her as he clutched her hands with her.

"I went to get you a gift. Here, open it." He handed her the package as her expression changed.

"What's that?" She asked him with curiosity written all over her face.

"Why don't you open it first while I wait for a big hug? Hmm?" He answered her with a wink as she began to open the package and to her surprise, there was her little puppy in the box.

"Uncle thank you… it's so beautiful…" She burst out laughing in joy as she carried it happily in her arms.

"Why don't you show that to your friends, hmm?" He asked her and then her mood changed.

"Is something wrong honey? Okay I can understand if you don't want to share your pet with them, come on, let's go and play together then hmm?" He said to her as he chinned her up and she smiled.

While they were playing with the puppy, it all came through his phone as it ranged in his pocket.

"Honey you know what? Let me step away and pick his phone call okay? I'll be right back." He told Ariel as she nodded with a smile while petting her puppy gently on its back.

At the playground;

"Who's that?" A female teacher asked as she saw Antonio and Ariel together.

"He must be her father. He came to pay her a visit, probably she's not feeling well and he came to check up on her." Their sports master replied.

"Aww… he's such a nice and caring father. I wish my husband could be like that. From his looks I'm sure he must be wealthy too." She added.

"Well, I've got no room to gossip." The sports master replied as he blew the whistle for those playing football.

On the phone;

"What? Where? Okay I'm on my way!" Antonio replied in shock as he quickly rushed to Ariel.

"Honey I have to leave now. I'll see you another time okay?" He informed Arie but she looked sad.

"But you promised not to leave me again uncle, breaking it so soon I see." She replied with a sad countenance which made Antonio feel bad and there was no time for any explanation.

"Okay, let's go." He said to her as she carried her puppy in her arms and he clutched her hands and took her in a haste towards the gate.

"I need to leave now and I'm leaving with her." Antonio informed the security guard.

"But sir, it is not yet their closing time. Maybe you can wait a little… there's twenty minutes more before the closing time and are you the one to pick her up?" The security guard asked him.

"I cannot wait and it's very urgent. I have to take her with me please." He pressured them into letting him leave with her.

"Young girl who is to take you home today?" The guard asked Ariel.

"My mummy…" She replied in a soft voice.

"Sir, is her mum aware about you leaving with her?" The guard questioned Antonio.

"Just like I said, it's an emergency and please when she comes to pick her up, tell her to meet us at Govard Private Hospital. Is there anything you need me to sign?" Antonio asked them.

"Yes but don't worry, you may leave. I'll let her know about that sir." He replied and they left in a hurry.

"Where are we going uncle?" Ariel asked him as Ariel put her in the back seat while he started the car.

"To the hospital." He replied as he reached out for his phone.

"Is everything alright? Is my mummy okay?" Ariel asked, very worried as her eyes were about to tear down with tears.

"No don't cry honey, everything is alright okay? I need to see my dad, he is not well, that's why we are going to the hospital." Ariel replied.

"Don't worry uncle, I will pray for him just like my mum taught me to. He will get better okay?" Ariel replied as Antonio felt touched by what she said and held her hand through the back on his shoulder.

"You are such a good kid." Antonio praised her as tears clouded in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Wilson had been looking for Mia to forgive him and come back to him. He was still in love with her and wanted her back so he did everything to convince her including finding information on where she now lived. He was down to earth on reconciling with her. It was her or no one and it was him or no one else for him. If he didn't get her, no one else would as he swore to himself while preparing to go look for her again.

***

In a hotel room in San Francisco;

"It's either me Mia or no one else. I won't let anyone have you. You are mine and I alone I'm yours. Please come back to me baby, come back to me… Come back to me Mia…." Antonio bragged to himself while looking into the mirror, wearing a black turtleneck with a pair of black trousers and a cigarette in his hands. He took perfume and sprayed himself with it while he perceived its fragrance.

"I must make her fall in love with me again." And with that, he smiled to himself.